By Godwin Akor, Veteran Journalist.
When Coronavirus otherwise known as COVID-19 became a pandemic, Governor Samuel Ortom and members of his cabinet became proactive by monitoring the return of Benue citizens from the countries that were affected by the pandemic at the early stage.
It was through such monitoring that the first index case of COVID-19 was identified with the patient’s contacts promptly traced. Even as the release of the name of the first index case did not go down well with the patient and her relations, Benue state government’s decision to disclose the name helped in no small measure to control the spread of the pandemic because the contacts were traced with little or no difficulty.
With the isolation of the patient and the contact persons, by the Action Committee on COVID-19 led by the deputy governor, Engr Benson Abounu, Benue began to win the confidence of the people who cooperated and ensured that Governor Ortom’s directive that those returning from outside the country as well as other parts of Nigeria should be closely monitored.
The controversy generated by the first index case’s insistence that she was not positive was put to rest as she was moved to Abuja in line with her request. The tireless efforts of Governor Samuel Ortom and members of the Action Committee in the creation of awareness on the pandemic made the citizens to be on the alert. Apart from visiting major markets to sensitize the people on thé need for the fumigation of markets, hospitals and other public places, Governor Ortom announced the partial lockdown of the state with restrictions placed on churches and mosques.
The governor equally advised the people to regularly wash their hands, use hand sanitizers and face masks. He told the people in a special broadcast that social distancing and sneezing into elbows as well as having sufficient knowledge on the symptoms of the disease which include running of temperature, frequent sneezing, difficulty in breathing should be part of what people should watch out for in their families, among friends, workplaces and social gathering as well as burials and wedding ceremonies which should not have more than 30 persons in attendance.
With the approval of te State Executive Council andthe Action Committee on COVID-19, the governor later imposed a dusk to down curfew and requested security agents to enforce the implementation of COVID-19 protocols as laid down by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC.The release of the names of subsequent cases of COVID-19 drastically rreduced the spread of the dreaded disease until there was restriction on border movements. The result of the commitment demonstrated by the governor, members of the committee and the entire people of the state has made the state not to record any COVID-19 death since the pandemic broke out earlier in the year.
The personal interest shown by the governor towards ensuring that patients from high risk areas did not spread the disease at community levels by visiting border areas paid off as those from Lagos, Kano, Abuja and other places including neighbouring states were promptly identified and sent back. When some persons sneaked into the state in trucks, buses containing palm oil, other food items, the Action Committee on COVId-19 in collaboration with vigilante groups identified them especially Almajiris who came into the state in the name of learning trades and doing menial jobs were tested and taken back to where they came from under tight security.
The relaxation of the lockdown on Lagos, Abuja, Ogun and later Kano by the Federal Government made the spread of the pandemic in other parts of the country to increase but the eagle eyes of the authorities as well as the Action Committee on COVID-19 in the 23 local government areas made Benue to be one of the least affected states. In the words of the secretary to the Action Committee on COVID-19 and the state commissioner for health and human services, Dr Sunday Ongbabo, ” Governor Samuel Ortom’s proactive measures have made Benue not to record any COVID-19 death since the pandemic started”.
Benue has so far recorded about 13 cases with one absconding. Five persons have so far been treated and discharged while the rest are responding to treatment. One of the patients discharged had praised Governor Samuel Ortom, saying his efforts made her to discover that COVID-19 was not a killer disease.
Governor Ortom should be commended for carrying out full scale battle against COVID-19. The governor has been promptly releasing funds for the establishment of isolation centers and the treatment of the patients. At the security meeting he held recently with his Nasarawa state counterpart, Engr Abdullahi Sule, at the border town of Yelwata, Governor Sule declared that Governor Ortom had mobilized both human and material resources to successfully check the spread of the pandemic.
We equally commend the governor for selflessly waging war against the pandemic in spite of the various security challenges. When the governor recently relaxed restrictions on churches and markets, he reminded the people that their life was more important than the businesses they would be doing and urged them to follow all the COVID-19 protocols laid down by NCDC. He had also announced that the curfew had been partially relaxed to cover 10 pm to 4 am instead of the former period of 8 pm to 6 am.
The governor nées to be supported and encouraged by the entire citizenry so that he would leave behind a legacy of making Benue safe not only security wise but also COVID-19 free.
